Health and caregiving among the 50+ : ownership, use and interest in mobile technology

Health and caregiving among the 50+ : ownership, use and interest in mobile technology (PDF)

The 50+ population is often portrayed in a limited number of stereotypes while, in fact, we know it is a heterogeneous group. While caregivers and care recipients are less heterogeneous than the total 50+ population, they do have a range of needs which are often related to the degree to which they require or give assistance. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of the results from this survey are mixed. The findings suggest that while cell phones have been widely adopted, the usage of other hand-held devices is lower and the use of these devices for health purposes varies. The detailed results show that there are niches of people within the overall group who are more or less interested in using hand-held devices for health purposes. Often demographic variables help to define levels of interest or usage (older or younger, windowed or married). This suggests the need to consider segmenting this population based on the needs and interest of both the 50+ population and the subset of people who are caregivers.

Source: AARP Research & Strategic Analysis

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